API: Application Programming Interface
The LinMin Bare Metal Provisioning API enables customers to interface with LBMP's provisioning and imaging functions programmatically.
This chapter describes how to use the API to integrate with your IT applications (control panel, orchestrator, scheduler, load balancer, etc.)
The API is comprised of components to made the software developer's job very easy and quick:
| • | An authentication layer (by token and by IP address) |
| • | A Provisioning Sample Code Example Generator |
| • | An Imaging Sample Code Example Generator |
| • | An API Enabler |
| • | Supporting components |
The process to integrate LBMP is to:
| • | Obtain an Authorization APID (using a script as root, tied to an IP address, user name and password) |
| • | Obtain a 5-minute Action APID (by providing to the API your Authorization APID, user name and password) |
| • | Generate sample Provisioning API calls and return codes (then integrate the functions into your application), and/or |
| • | Generate sample Imaging API calls and return codes (then integrate the functions into your application) |
| • | Reference the generated sample code (calls and return codes) to integrate provisioning and imaging functions into your application |
Note: before using the API, it is important that you review individual tutorials for provisioning (by OS, in "Create a MAC-Specific Provisioning Template and Role") and imaging so you understand LBMP functionality and limitations when using the GUI.
Example: Screenshots of a Customer's Dedicated Server Control Panel integrated using the API
Many hosting companies integrate LBMP into their control panels in order to reduce their operational costs and to provide their customers with a self-service environment.
SeFlow.net is a leading Italian hosting company with thousands of systems being regularly provisioned and re-purposed using LinMin Bare Metal Provisioning. SeFlow.net empowers its dedicated server customers to re-provision systems 24x7 with different types of Linux and Windows operating systems with no manual intervention by SeFlow.net staff, providing best-in-class Quality of Service.
Below are a few screenshots showing SeFlow.net's customers' experience.
SeFlow.net customers securely access their systems with strong authentication:
From the customized control panel, SeFlow.net customers can elect to re-provision their server:
First they select the new Linux distribution or Windows operating system they wish to provision on their system:
Then confirm all the system settings:
The system will be re-provisioned by the LinMin Server when the customer reboots the system:
But if the customer doesn't want to re-purpose the system after all, the operation can be canceled and the LinMin Server will not provision the client system:
If the customer can't access or reboot the system, the system can be power-cycled and be provisioned by the LinMin Server automatically:
A fully operational Linux system awaits the customer upon reboot.
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